The promises and pitfalls of mandating racial equity in special education

Abstract

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has deep roots in the civil rights movement; however, the legislation, as currently applied, has done little to address racial inequities in services students with disabilities receive. Too often, schools, districts, and states focus on complying with the regulations, while failing to make necessary changes to improve student outcomes. Catherine Voulgarides describes how the confusing, cumbersome, and compliancedriven IDEA policy landscape interacts with the complex efforts to achieve equity. She shares examples of districts that were able to come into compliance with IDEA equity requirements in ways that contradicted what educators consider best practice and without examining the root causes of inequities. She concludes with recommendations for how to improve IDEA when it is next reauthorized.